Hot Rods There's always something.

I noticed that the rubber bushings on the lower coil over shocks on the roadster are completely pounded out and collapsed. We're in Sarasota with limited tools and equipment, so I went right down to Harbor Freight and bought a fancy floor jack, some jack stands and a big C clamp, then ordered some urethane bushings for them

 

When I had a ride with rear coilovers, I bought Alden shocks which had an option for a ball swivel (like a heim joint) rather than a fixed bushing.
If the top and bottom shock mount bolts are not very parallel, the rubber/urethane bushings will not last a long time.

 

Is it just me, or is the quality of aftermarket rubber parts like this down?..

 

If there's any misalignment I'd suggest the urethene bushes might not last too long, mine certainly didn't!

Chris

 

For sure Steve. I have also noticed the Rubber Nipples we use to cap off Vacc fittings are no longer the same. It's almost like they have more plastic than rubber product in them and easily split or just plain have a short lifetime. What's up with that?

 

It's not you, have you used a pencil lately where the eraser lives more than twenty seconds.

 

Wiper blades don't live long either. I had all the soft parts crumbling on my Flaming River Omni rack at about 30,000 miles. Flaming River's response? that's a lifetime on a street rod. I must be pretty fortunate, my "street rod" has carried me over 100,000 miles.....Keep an eye on it all.

 

Rubber bands seem to last about 2 weeks then they dry up and crack. China latex?

 

That seems to be the mindset from the aftermarket for our 'restoration' or 'upgrade' bits. I used to have a '56 Ford with factory power steering that used rubber bushings on the idler arm in 'torsion' (used to pull the steering back to center). The main flaw in the design IMO, these are a big PITA to install. After having two failures in two years, I converted the car to manual steering, no more issues.

I'm not even a fan of urethane. Many years ago I owned a '64 Comet hardtop that I upgraded the front suspension on. Big sway bar, better shocks, fronts discs, and a pair of high-dollar (in those days for me) Global West upper control arms for better geometry. I asked them about installing urethane bushings elsewhere and surprisingly enough, they didn't recommend them for street use. Urethane transmits more shock compared to rubber, and they told me that buyers that had done so experienced other parts failures because of them. If all you drive are glass-smooth roads, urethane will be fine but if you travel less-smooth secondary roads they'll beat the shit out of other parts. Rod ends are even worse. The sway bar I ended up with (an 'adapted' too-wide Mustang bar because no one was making a 1.5" narrower version for the Falcon/Comet at the time) used 3/8" rod ends on one end of the links and those became maintenance items like oil filters due to regular breakage.

I wish I knew an answer...

 

Just take this!

 

Yes sir, I have been there and done that, the rubber bushing didn't last more than a year, the urethane bushings have a better track record. glad you found it before it got worse. HRP

 

Neither rubber or urethane last as long as they should, IMHO. There is an ingredient used as a 'plastisizer', or so I've read, extends the life, but a lot of makers skimp on it, or something.

Like on my HF tool box, great box except that after 2-3 years the urethane tread on the casters just disintegrated. Or my new work boots, unused for a year or so sitting in the closet, soles litterally fell off walking to the back door. An they were a warranty replacement for the first pair that did it a 3 years or so. No more Wolverines for me.

On the other hand I have a windshield rubber gasket from my 56 Dodge pickup. Likely installed in the 80s from what I know of its history. Still fits, still supple, but the lock strip is brittle and cracked.